U.S. Pat. No. 3,019,697 describes an integrated lead making machine having a pair of crimping presses on each side of a wire feed path. The machine feeds wire by means of a wire feeding means from an endless wire source through a wire cutting and stripping zone and through aligned transfer mechanisms. In the operation of machines of this type, the wire is fed during each operating cycle, a lead is cut from the end of the fed wire, and the transfer mechanisms transfer the cut ends, from which the insulation is stripped during transfer, to the crimping presses. This type of lead making machine is now available from several different manufacturers and the principles of the lead making machine described in the above-identified U.S. patent are widely used. Other lead making machines of the same general type are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,800,389; 3,612,369; and 4,554,725. These previously issued U.S. patents are hereby incorporated by reference into the instant description.
Lead making machines of the type described in the above U.S. patents are, of necessity, relatively complex and require complicated mechanisms for actuating the crimping presses and the wire and lead transfer mechanisms as well as the insulation cutting and stripping devices. It is common practice, for example, to provide each of the crimping presses as a self-contained unit and it is also common practice to provide these presses as conventional crimping presses having a separate press frame and press ram. In addition to being relatively complex, many of the presently available lead making machines are relatively massive and require heavy duty motors for their operation. Additionally, problems are sometimes encountered in the operation of transferring the cut ends of the wire and the lead to the crimping presses because of the fact that the crimping presses and the crimping tooling carried by the presses are in fixed positions on the machine and the wire and lead must be transferred from the cutting and stripping zone to the presses without encountering other structure mounted in the machine.
The present invention is directed to the achievement of an improved lead making machine having improved press assemblies which require less space and less power for their actuation than previous press assemblies and lead making machines, improved actuator systems for lead making machines, adjustment features which are not available in present lead making machines, and other advantages described below. In accordance with a further aspect, the invention is directed to the achievement of an improved crimping press and actuator which can be used under a variety of circumstances other than in lead making machines.